I do not own the NCIS characters, I am just borrowing them to help tell a story.
Double Life
"Boss, how did we miss this?" Tony asked as he watched Gibbs cradle and hold Abby on the ground.
"I don't know Tony, I don't know. I never saw this coming." Gibbs said as he held on tightly and rocked back and forth with Abby in his arms.
As Tony watched over Gibbs and Abby he thought over the last twenty minutes. They were the longest and shortest span of time he could ever remember.
Flashback
It was almost midnight and Tony was heading home. He was tired. He had stayed late to finish all the paperwork from the last case. There was a happy ending with the case of a missing teenager. The dependent was home safe and sound with his family and now all the paperwork was complete. Only one day left of the work week and they would have a long weekend off. It was only at the last minute that Tony realized he had to go the long way home due to night time road work. The detour would take him up around the city and over the river into a quieter part of town. It was going to take an extra twenty minutes to get home tonight. Tony sighed as came to the bridge that would mark the half way point of his trip home tonight. Half way across the bridge Tony noticed someone sitting on the wall of the bridge. As he passed the person he did a double take when he recognized who it was. It was Abby.
Tony pulled over and parked his car. It couldn't be Abby. He was tired and was seeing things. because Abby left at lunch time for New Orleans. She called and told Gibbs that her plane landed safely. Just to be safe Tony got out of his car and walked towards the person he thought was Abby. The person in question turned away and stood up on the wall of the bridge. Even in the dim light of the only street lamp on the bridge he could tell it was Abby. Tony grabbed his phone and called Gibbs.
"Boss, we may have a problem with Abby."
"DiNozzo, its late and Abby is in New Orleans. She called when she landed this evening."
"Then it is her double standing on the wall of the bridge on Route 166. You need to come here something is not right. I'm going to try and talk to her. I'll leave the phone on speaker so you can listen."
"On my way DiNozzo."
Tony quietly approached Abby making sure not to startle her. He made quick observations of Abby and frowned at what he saw. Abby stood there wearing baggy clothing and no jacket. Her hair was down and messy and she was shaking. As he approached Abby, he called out her name softly.
"Abby."
No response. Tony tried again a little louder.
"Abby."
What Tony saw when Abby turned towards him almost made his heart stop. Vacant, dead eyes turned towards him. These eyes failed to recognize him and Tony failed to recognize Abby in those eyes. Physically Abby was standing in front of him, confirmation being her tats. Those eyes told Tony another story. They told him that her personality and soul were gone. That he was only looking at the shell of Abby. The shock ran deep into his soul and Tony was unsure of what to do with what he saw.
"Abby can you come here?"
Tony stopped when she flinched at his hand being raised slowly up towards her.
"I'm not going to hurt you Abby. I only want to help."
Tony lowered his hand to be seen not as a threat. He was at a loss, unsure of what to do. With his years of law enforcement training, he knew what he was supposed to do. This was different, this was family and it was taking a lot to hold back from grabbing Abby and pulling her to safety. He knew he couldn't risk the chance of her falling into the river.
"Abby, where is your car?"
It sounded stupid to him to ask that. Well he had to start somewhere.
"Don't worry I took care of everything. Don't worry. Go home."
"Let me drive you home."
"I'll be home in the morning."
"Abby it is a ways from your place. Your car isn't here. Let me drive you home. It is getting late."
"Don't worry, I'll be home soon. It is only a short trip and I took care of everything."
"At least come down off the wall and talk to me. You are making me nervous being up high and shaking like a leaf."
"I want to be alone. Go home. I'll be home in the morning."
If Tony thought Abby's eyes were scary, her voice brought those fears to another level. Her bubbly, excited voice was gone. Replaced with a hollowness that made the scariest horror movie character sound like Mary Poppins. He stepped back a couple of feet to convey his concern to his boss.
"Boss," Tony said softly. "I'm afraid for Abby. Her eyes and her voice are vacant and hollow. She wants me to leave her alone."
"Don't leave her, DiNozzo. Keep talking to her and distract her. I am a couple of minutes out. I'll approach from the other side."
"Abby, why are you here? I mean you are far from home and you don't have your car. How did you get here?"
"I told you, I am going home. I don't need a car. I made other arrangements."
"Are you meting someone here?"
"Cherise and Alexis."
"Where are they? It is kind of late to be out here by yourself."
"I'll meet with them soon."
"Can I wait with you?"
"Go home."
"I'm not leaving until you get down off that wall."
Tony saw Gibbs walking up from the other side of the bridge. So Tony kept talking to distract Abby, not that he thought Abby was aware of who Tony was.
"Tell me about Cherise and Alexis? You never mentioned them before."
"They are coming to take me home."
"Are they from back home in Louisiana?"
"How did you know?"
"Well Abby, you were going to fly to New Orleans today for the weekend and you are still here."
"I needed to finish making arrangements."
"So they are meeting you here?"
"They are coming, so go home. I'll be home in the morning."
"Do they drive like Ziva? Because that is a long ride, no way you will make it by morning. You may make it by tomorrow night."
"Go home. They are coming. I can hear them telling me they are close."
Tony looked at Gibbs with panic in his eyes. Gibbs returned his look with fear in his own eyes. Gibbs was in shock at what he was hearing and seeing. The fact that Abby had not addressed them by name was highly unusual. Abby always acknowledge and addressed them by name, even if she was mad at them. While Gibbs couldn't see Abby's eyes, he had no doubt that Tony was correct in his description. Abby's eerie voice was out of a horror show and sent shivers down his spine. His gut was turning, things were not ok and they were about to get worse before the night ended.
Abby turned away from Tony and faced towards the river. Tony and Gibbs moved in closer be careful not to startle Abby and waited. They stood in silence for a couple of minutes while Abby stared out over the river with her vacant stare. The silence was broken with Abby whispering...
"Cheri, Lexi, I am here. Catch me its time to go home..."
This is a work in progress. Normally I would have finished the story first before posting. I can't with this story. So please stick with me while I try to get this story told. Thanks, Patricia.